Ramadan During Lockdown: How Govanhill’s Muslim Community is Supporting Those In Need

Apr 23

by Rhiannon J Davies

Al-Khair Foundation

Amongst the many shuttered shops on Victoria Road, the office of the Al-Khair Foundation stands out as a hive of activity. Inside, it’s piled high with boxes and bags of food. Volunteers wearing face masks and gloves are busy packing and sorting crates of potatoes, bags of chicken wings and sacks of rice.

The Al-Khair Foundation may be an international Muslim aid NGO, but it also supports the local community. They have run a food bank in Govanhill for some time, but since the lockdown, things have really stepped up a gear. Previously they provided food parcels to around 15 individuals and families. At the moment, they’re sending out 150-200 boxes, and providing 60-100 cooked meals a day to people in Glasgow who may be self-isolating, in quarantine or otherwise in need.

Naweed Safdar is the liaison officer for the mosque and businesses within Scotland. He explains: “While most of our donors are Muslim, the vast majority of the packs going out are to non-Muslims; people referred to us through Turning Point, Govanhill Housing Association, Help For The Homeless and other organisations. We’ve had lovely phone calls and emails from people who have been over the moon about the support they’ve received.”

This evening marks the start of Ramadan, the month-long fast that is a central tenet of Islam. Despite observing the fast – which for Muslims means not eating or drinking anything between dawn and dusk – volunteers and staff at the charity are going to be working harder than ever.

“We’re adding dates and other traditional iftar foods to our packs that go out to Muslims” says Safdar. “We’ve also been in touch with chaplains at hospitals across Scotland, to arrange the delivery of around 200 special suhoor packs. Patients may not be fasting in hospital, but they’ll still be able to join in with Islamic traditions. We’re also in contact with all the prison imams and are going to be sending out 100-200 suhoor packs to Muslims in Scottish prisons as well.”

For Safdar, Ramdan is not just about fasting: “It’s about cleaning the mind and soul as well as the body – not only obeying Islamic rules and regulations, but trying to go a step further. Asking yourself if you can increase the charitable deeds that you do, or whether there’s someone you’re fighting with who you need to forgive.”

He believes that the lockdown offers new opportunities for Glasgow’s Muslims. “People are stuck at home, so now is the perfect opportunity to spiritually guide yourself and look at what Ramadan actually means. Not just for yourself but for your community as well. If you’re sitting at home and you are comfortable, why not ring up a charity, see if you can donate or support them.”

Al-Farooq Education and Community Centre

The Al-Farooq Education and Community Centre stands in a converted church on the corner of Dixon Avenue and Langside Road, right in the heart of Govanhill. Like Al-Khair, since lockdown began, much of their focus has been on their food bank, which has seen a huge increase in demand.

Speaking about their efforts, Imam, Sohaib Hussain says: “We’re a determined bunch, we’re dedicated towards serving our community 365 days of the year but we’ve had to give that extra push in the last few weeks. We’ve also introduced a ‘Covid-19 Emergency Delivery Service’ where we deliver food packs to the most vulnerable who can’t come to us to collect food or those in self-isolation.

“Govanhill is such a diverse area, people from all ethnicities and backgrounds look to us for help and everyone’s situation is different so it’s important that a place of faith is at the forefront trying to do all it can for people in these times of need.”

Imam Hussain recognises that this will be a Ramadan unlike any other, but sees the benefits that it can offer: “I think people may find it a bit harder not being able to go out or visit family but within that there’s a blessing of having more time to yourself to connect with Allah and with the kids being off school, there’s an opportunity to help them get into the spirit of Ramadan.”

He believes that not having the mosque to attend will be a source of hardship for many of Govanhill’s Muslims. Normally activities are provided throughout the day, and up to 300 people come together to break the fast each evening.

The centre has responded to the lockdown by moving education activities online. They’re live streaming lectures in English and Urdu and have also tried to offer them in Kurdish and Swahili. They also produced a Ramadan timetable showing times for fasting, meals and prayer both online and printed for those who wanted a physical copy.

While non-Muslims will not be observing the fast, Imam Hussain believes they can still support their neighbours by making the effort to understand what Muslims do during this month and why we do it: “Having that understanding can only be a good thing and will contribute towards greater respect within the community.”

Glasgow Central Mosque

During Ramadan, the Glasgow Central Mosque normally hosts an iftar meal for around 500 people every night. After the evening prayers, long tables are set up in the hall for Muslims to break the fast together. As well as a religious practice, it’s an opportunity for asylum seekers, refugees and other vulnerable people to sit down to a cooked meal.

The mosque’s general secretary, Irfan Razzaq, explains that as they can’t do what they’d normally offer, they’re having to do things a little differently: “Volunteers are going to prepare iftar meals every Monday, Wednesday and Friday – enough for two days – that people will be able to collect and take home. We’ll also be delivering to those who are self-isolating. We have no idea of numbers, but are going to start with 500 meals and take it from there.”

They’ll also be providing iftar meals to NHS staff at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital and the Glasgow Royal Infirmary. The offer is open to all staff, not just those who are observing the fast.

Like so many organisations, they’ve had to adapt what they do pretty quickly in response to the lockdown, and have been providing two prayer services a day via Facebook, Youtube and Instagram Live. Throughout the month of Ramadan, this will be ramped up to nine live services each day, tapping into how to spread spiritual message online for the very first time.

Despite the many challenges of the lockdown, Razzaq also sees some positives for the community: “There’s a greater awareness of the vulnerable groups and how better to serve them – people who might ordinarily be forgotten about. We’ve becoming more aware of different circumstances and stories of older people or others going through hard times. Their difficulties have always been there, but have never been highlighted to us. Now there’s such a community effort to support one another.

“And that’s something to keep in mind – anything that does any good for the community should always be kept going, no matter what happens next.”

“Previously community spirit was good, but people from different cultures and backgrounds tended to stick together a bit more. Now because of the outbreak, the community realises how much is has to support each other.”

What is Ramadan?

Ramadan is one of the Muslim practices that make up the Five Pillars of Islam - along with the belief in only one God, praying five times a day, giving part of your income to charity, and making a pilgrimage to Mecca, if possible.
It commemorates the month when the Quran was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad.
It is held in the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which changes each year as it follows the cycles of the moon.
This year it will be begin in the evening of Thursday 23rd April and end on Saturday 23rd May.
During the month of Ramadan, nothing should pass the lips of observant fasters from dawn until dusk. This means no food, no water and no cigarettes.
On the longest day of the year (21 June), this means nothing from 4:30am until after 10pm.
Before the day’s fasting begins at dawn, Muslim eat a meal in the morning known as sehri or suhoor and the fast is broken in the evening with a meal known as iftar.
Typically, the first thing that is eaten as part of the iftar meal is dates.
As well as fasting, Muslims use this time for reading, prayer, charitable deeds and getting closer to God.
Children under 14 do not typically observe the fast, and nor do adult Muslims with health conditions.

From the South East Integration Support Network:

How to Support Muslim Colleagues During Ramadan

Ramadan is a month-long Muslim observance which starting on the evening of Thursday, 23rd April and ends at sunset Saturday, 23rd May. During these days many Muslims fast from dawn until dusk. It's important to support the health, safety and wellbeing of all staff and consideration during fasting should be given.

For those fasting, concentrating for long periods can be challenging due to the physical impact of not eating for extended periods of time can have on the body and brain. Encourage staff to take regular breaks and rest periods whenever they need them. If any of your staff are Muslim, have a chat with them to see if there is anything they need supported with during this religious time.

Irfan Razzaq suggests that if you have a Muslim neighbour who will be fasting, leaving a box of dates on their doorstep would be a thoughtful way of showing your support.